How to Smoke Barbecue Pork Ribs

How to Smoke Barbecue Pork Ribs - Making BBQ Ribs

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There are many right ways to prepare BBQ Ribs. In this tutorial, we will look at several variations used to get the BBQ ribs you want. After all, the best pork BBQ rib is the one you like best. So if you enjoy them fall off the bone tender then make them that way. If you want a crisp, crunchy surface then I will show you how to do that as well. You can put sauce on them or not or make your BBQ Ribs spicy hot, or sticky and sweet. It's all up to you and don't let anyone tell you that it...MORE isn't right.

What you will need for BBQ Ribs:

Racks of ribs (I'm working with spareribs, but you can use baby back ribs)

How to Smoke Barbecue Pork Ribs - Preparing the Smoker

Preparing Smoker for BBQ Ribs. Regarding BBQ Inc.

We're going to start with the smoker. For this tutorial, we will be assuming that you are smoking your ribs on a smoker. You can adjust the process for a grill if you must (see Barbecue Ribs on the Grill). Set up your smoker to hold a temperature around 225 degrees F (110 degrees C) for about 6 hours (see Smoking 101 for more information). You will want a strong smoke source at the beginning of the cooking time and again towards the end of the cooking time if you intend to add sauce to the...MORE ribs while they are on the smoker. This is best done by adding wood chunks to the fire when you first put the ribs on the smoker to cook.

Make sure you have plenty of fuel and a good strong fire going with your smoker adjusted to hold the right temperature and we'll get started on preparing the BBQ ribs.

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03 of 08

How to Smoke Barbecue Pork Ribs - Preparing the Pork Ribs

Preparing pork BBQ Ribs for the smoker. Regarding BBQ Inc.

There are a number of ways to prepare a rack of ribs for smoking. The trouble is that most of this preparation takes place before you can get your hands on them. What you want to look for is a good, full rack of ribs that is even in thickness throughout. If the rack is thin on one side and thick on the other it won't cook evenly. Of course, the nature of ribs is that they have a meaty side so you can't get a perfect evenness. Just look for one that isn't too lopsided.

Good trimmed...MORE spare ribs won't have anything hanging off. Make sure you cut away any loose pieces of meat or fat. This will dry out while cooking.

The last point is considered the most important trimming task for a good rack of smoked ribs, removing the membrane. The membrane is a layer of skin on the bone side of the rack. This tough material blocks flavor and smoke from reaching the meat and will make the ribs tough. Cooked at low temperatures the membrane will remain tough and will detract from the eating experience (the most important step). Removing the membrane can be easy if done correctly. Start at one end of the rack and with a blunt knife work your way under the membrane along the surface of the last bone. Using a paper towel grab hold of the membrane and peel it off. Sometimes you can get it in one grab and sometimes the rack is just stubborn and it might take a few tries to get the majority of the membrane off.

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04 of 08

How to Smoke Barbecue Pork Ribs - Pork Rib Rub

BBQ Rib Rub. Regarding BBQ Inc.

The rub is your best source for flavoring your BBQ Ribs. The rub goes on before the ribs do and the flavors of the spice mixture have the whole cooking time to sink into the meat and give the ribs a lot of extra flavor. You can pick a sweet rub, a spicy rub, or a savory rib rub. The choice is yours. Remember that hot spices will mellow during the cooking time so if you want your ribs spicy hot you will have to make sure you make it very spicy.

With your ribs trimmed and your smoker hot, it's...MORE time to put on the rub. If you apply the rub too early your ribs will get a "hammy" flavor. By applying the rub closer to the cooking time, you will get all the flavor without the texture of the meat being changed by the salt and spices you find in rubs. Of course, if you prefer you can put the rub on earlier, but I suggest you experiment with it first.

The rub should be applied to the whole surface of the rack of ribs, thick enough to heavily coat the meat. Only so much spice will stick to the ribs and that's how much you want, as much as will adhere to the meat.

From this point forward you want to be careful how you handle the rack of ribs. The more you handle the ribs the more rub will fall off.

I have many great Rub Recipes that you can look through to find the one you like best.

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05 of 08

How to Smoke Barbecue Pork Ribs - Placing Pork Ribs on the Smoker

BBQ Ribs Placed on the Smoker. Regarding BBQ Inc.

Knowing your smoker is vital to producing good barbecue. You want to make sure that your BBQ ribs get exposed to even heat so, if you know there is a hot spot make sure you are prepared to deal with it. When placing your ribs in the smoker be sure not to block the flow of air. An even airflow all around the ribs (and through the smoker) is very important. Make sure to place the ribs in the center of the cooking area and that the smoke can move evenly around all sides of the rack.

If your smoker...MORE doesn't have a lot of space you might consider buying a rib rack. A rib rack accessory allows you to stack the ribs on their sides so that you can fit more racks of ribs on your smoker than if they were laying out.

One tip with putting a rack of ribs on the smoker, do not stretch out the rack. Meat shrinks as it cooks and you don't want to limit that action. Once you place the rack on the smoker push it together gently from the ends. This will let the meat (and fat) contract evenly as it cooks. Stretching out the rack can increase the toughness of the meat when fully cooked.

How to Smoke Barbecue Pork Ribs - Wrapping the Ribs

Wrapping BBQ Ribs. Regarding BBQ Inc.

You can just let your BBQ ribs smoke as they are, but many people swear by what is known as the 3-2-1 method. This method calls for smoking the ribs unwrapped for three hours followed by two hours wrapped in heavy duty foil. The ribs finish up with one additional hour unwrapped. This process allows the ribs to be exposed to smoke for 4 hours while they steam in their own juices for two hours. This makes the ribs more tender but can cause them to become a little too tender. If you want the rib...MORE meat to stick to the bone then you might want to skip the wrapping. If, however, you prefer fall off the bone ribs, then you should definitely wrap them for the two hours.

A full rack of spare ribs should be smoked for roughly 6 hours. During the first few hours is when the meat absorbs the most smoke flavor. This is why it is important to make sure that you are producing a good supply of smoke during this time.

Just to make sure you are clear, follow these steps:

3 hours unwrapped on the smoker

2 hours wrapped tightly (air tight) in foil on the smoker

1 hour unwrapped on the smoker.

If you are using baby back ribs then the cooking time should be about 5 hours. If you want to wrap your baby backs reduce the first phase to 2 hours.

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07 of 08

How to Smoke Barbecue Pork Ribs - Barbecue Sauce

Putting BBQ Sauce on BBQ Ribs. Regarding BBQ Inc.

Once your ribs are getting close to being done (look for an internal temperature ​around 170 degrees F/75 degrees C) it is time to think about how you want to ribs to be served. The first question is about the surface of the meat. Smoked ribs are tender from end to end. Some people, however, like their ribs to be a little crispy on the surface. To do this, take the ribs out from the smoker and place them over a high, direct heat. This can be done over the fire in your firebox if your smoker has...MORE one or on a gas grill. The trick is to put the rack of ribs on the high heat for about two minutes a side. This will crisp up the surface and give the ribs a crunch. If you do take this direction you do not want sauce on the ribs before they hit the heat. Sugar, which is a primary ingredient to most sauces, burns at 265 degrees F. If the rack has sauce on it, the sauce will burn over this high heat.

If you crisp the ribs you can apply your sauce after they come off the high heat. You can put on the barbecue sauce and return the ribs to the smoker for a while to help the sauce sink in. However, don't leave the ribs on too long. The combination of the low and slow heat and the barbecue sauce is going to soften up the surface of the ribs again and you will loose that crispy surface. You can simply apply the sauce, cut and serve if you so prefer.

If you are not crisping the surface of the ribs, then start applying the sauce toward the tail end of the cooking time. If you wrapped the ribs, start applying the sauce as soon as the foil comes off. By putting the sauce on and continuing to smoke the ribs, you will get more smoke into the sauce and the barbecue sauce will cook onto the surface making the ribs sticky, but not dripping in sauce (if you want them dripping keep adding sauce). If you want the extra smoke flavor put in more wood.

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How to Smoke Barbecue Pork Ribs - Cutting Ribs and Serving

Cutting Spareribs. Regarding BBQ Inc.

Like any meat, you cook it is important to let it rest before you carve and serve. This evens out the heat and lets the natural juices flow back towards the surface of the meat. For a rack of ribs, you should let the meat rest for about 10 minutes. Once this period is over it is time to cut the ribs and serve. Try not to let your ribs sit around too long or the meat will dry out.

To cut the ribs take a good sharp meat knife in one hand and the rack of ribs in the other. It is easiest to carve...MORE ribs by setting them standing up on the meaty side. (bones should be sticking out a little on the top side). Now you can simply slide the knife down through the rack between the bones. If you guide it down directly between the bones you should be able to pass the knife through easily.

If your ribs are "fall off the bone" tender then you want to lay the ribs down, bone side up, and cut them the best you can. If the ribs are very tender the meat will tear apart more easily than it will cut. Be careful or you will lose the shape of the ribs and simply end up with a pile of rib meat.

The last part is to take note of your ribs. Too tender? Not tender enough? Too sweet? Too spicy? If you record your process, the next time you smoke a rack of ribs you will be able to make the necessary adjustments to the process.